Just days after killing his sons in a vicious hellfire explosion, Josh Powell’s sister is still denying that he had anything to do with his wife’s disappearance, and said he was trying to “protect” the little boys.

In a shocking interview, Alina Powell defends her brother’s murderous actions, during which he took a hatchet and chopped at both Charles, 7, and Braden, 5, before setting the house on fire and killing them all.

“I think he must have just felt that there was only one way left to protect his sons from the pain from all the emotional and physical pain that they’ve been experiencing,” Alina told Good Morning America on Thursday.

Prior to his death, Josh had been the only person of interest in the disappearance of his wife Susan Cox Powell, who vanished in December, 2009. In the interview, Alina is adamant that her brother had nothing to do with her disappearance from their town of Graham, Washington.

“No. I’ve never received any indication from him or the boys that he had anything to do with it,” she said in the interview. “And trust me I looked for it hard. I studied every word he said, every action he made.”

The reporter asked her if an innocent man would do what Josh did to his young sons and Alina justified his actions.